I participated in the 2025 "Jilin University - University of Cambridge Mentor Program" and chose the direction of Philosophy of Mind, aiming to complement my academic knowledge and enhance my English proficiency.
My primary goals for this program were twofold. Firstly, I wanted to systematically learn professional knowledge in the field of Philosophy of Mind, as the relevant courses offered at my home university are limited, and I have always been interested in this branch. Secondly, I intended to improve my comprehensive English skills, with a focus on listening and vocabulary accumulation, to lay a solid foundation for future academic research and communication.
The program performed exceptionally well in terms of teaching, research, and organization. Professor Will Hornett’s lectures not only provided a comprehensive overview of Philosophy of Mind but also delved deeply into key topics. More than one-third of the class time was allocated to interactive questioning and discussions, which prompted us to reflect on the knowledge we learned continuously. Additionally, the professor recommended a wealth of extracurricular papers for self-study and improvement. The course also covered academic writing and comprehensive quality improvement, offering a diverse range of learning dimensions. In terms of format, the courses were delivered via Zoom live broadcasts with real-time English subtitles, which were convenient for learning and preservation. The project team established a dedicated website to compile and share course materials in a well-classified and comprehensive manner. I would also like to express my gratitude to Project Manager Ivy for her full participation and dedicated support throughout the program.
Through this program, I gained substantial achievements. Since there is no specialized course on Philosophy of Mind at my home university, this program allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding of the field, including learning about physicalism, qualia, consciousness, and various sub-branches and schools of thought. Furthermore, my English skills were improved comprehensively in speaking, listening, and writing.
However, I encountered a major challenge: the schedule conflict between the program’s lectures and my compulsory courses at Jilin University. As a result, I was unable to attend the live lectures and had to rely on subtitles and PPTs for learning. For future similar programs, I suggest that the organizers conduct a survey on students’ schedules in advance to arrange classes more reasonably, which will further optimize the learning experience.
